THE SCREEN; Another Phase of the War. A British Farce. Sensational Journalism. Movietone News.

This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996.
To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them.

Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems.
Please send reports of such problems to archive_feedback@nytimes.com.

Another World War film, "The Battle of Gallipoli," a British International production which was directed by Anthony Asquith and Geoffrey Barkas, has reached the Cameo screen. Without considering the question raised in England concerning its being a glorification of the English public school boy, but reviewing it from the standpoint of the impression it may make over here, it can be stated that from a pictorial angle, which includes the splendidly natural performances of all the players, it is worthy of the high praise accorded it by the majority of English critics. But its vocal recording leaves much to be desired, for frequently it is impossible to understand what the participants are saying. This is not due to their manner of speech, but apparently to the acoustics or to the German sound process employed.Although some of the lines are indistinct, the march of events detailing the landing at Gallipoli and the eventual evacuation of that war zone in January, 1916, are set forth in a stirring fashion. It was an undertaking in which the British Admiralty cooperated by putting at the disposal of the producers warships of the Mediterranean squadron. Some of the scenes were pictured at Malta, where sites were found that resembled the Anzac and "V" beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula.The glimpses of the British in boats making for the shore are effectively filmed, as are others revealing the fighters at the mercy of the rifles and machine guns of the Turks. In the course of the story, the Turkish gun, known to the British as "Clara," comes in for dramatic instance of heroism.This narrative is based on Ernest Raymond's novel, "Tell England," and at the end of the picture there is the quotation: "Tell England ye who pass this monument, that we died for her and here we rest content." This story is in some respects vaguely like "Journey's End," in that it has a dispute between two chums and a jolly Captain, who is last heard singing, "Just One More Rubber," and a little later his life is snuffed out by a Turkish bullet.In several sequences there is a successful effort in depicting the coolness of the fighters while the guns are booming, either by showing them playing bridge, writing letters or chatting.Frederick Lloyd gives a clever performance as the nonchalant Captain. Carl Harbord and Tony Bruce portray the school pals of old, and Lionel Hedges lends a good comedy touch as a sniffling soldier. Sam Wilkinson and Wally Patch also do well by their parts.

Another Phase of the War.THE BATTLE OF GALLIPOLI, based on Ernest Raymond's story "Tell England"; directed by Anthony Asquith and Geoffrey Barkas; produced by British International Pictures. At the Cameo.Edgar Doe . . . . . Carl HarbordRupert Ray . . . . . Tony BruceThe Padre . . . . . Dennis HoeyThe Colonel . . . . . C. M. HallardCaptain Hardy . . . . . Frederick LloydLieutenant Doon . . . . . Gerald RawlinsonPrivate Sims . . . . . Lionel HedgesPrivate Booth . . . . . Sam WilkinsonSergeant Instructor . . . . . Wally PatchMr. Ray . . . . . Hubert HarbenMrs. Doe . . . . . Fay ComptonAt the Fifth Avenue is a moderately amusing British picturization of the stage farce, "French Leave," with the charming Madeleine Carroll impersonating the wife of a British officer who succeeds in reaching the French town on the western front where her husband is billeted. The play was presented here with Mr. and Mrs. Charles Coburn eleven years ago.Here the photography is sometimes none too clear, but the voices are nicely recorded. The story is a kind of military mate to Jan Hay Beith's nautical comedy, "The Middle Watch," and a good deal of the fun is furnished by Arthur Chesney as a vociferous brigadier general. Henry Kendall gives a pleasing impersonation of Lieutenant Graham, who is struck by the beauty of Juliette, supposed to be the daughter of the owner of the house in which the General is quartered, but who is actually the wife of Captain Glenister.Juliette, the part played by Miss Carroll, is for a while suspected by the General and another officer of being an enemy spy, which so alarms Captain Glenister that he is forced to tell the General that Juliette is his wife. This is somewhat annoying to the General, who has made a report to his superior concerning his espionage suspicions.Not much harm is done, however, for the divisional commander catches a cold and this leaves the Brigadier General with power to decide what is to be done. Needless to say, Juliette, or Mrs. Glenister, is not arrested and her husband is not punished.

A British Farce.FRENCH LEAVE, based on the play of the same name by Reginald Berkeley; directed by Jack Raymond; a British production. At the Fifth Avenue Playhouse.Mademoiselle Juliette . . . . . Madeleine CarrollCorporal Sykes . . . . . Sydney HowardBrig. Gen. Root . . . . . Arthur ChesneyCaptain Glenister . . . . . Haddon MasonLieutenant Graham . . . . . Menry KendallJules Marnier . . . . . George de WarfazMadame Denaux . . . . . Mary AgatePrivate Jenks . . . . . George OwenThe excitements which go into the slightly mad melodrama of tabloid journalism have a flavor of their own that is not to be confused with life in its more rational phases. "X Marks the Spot," the new film at the Broadway Theatre, presents them with considerable success. The "X" is a symbol around which the authors group their spectacular melange of libelous journalism, omniscient newspapermen, cheap gunmen and publicity-mad showgirls. It is unpretentious in production, but much of it is vivid and all of it interesting. And in the final scenes, with a condemned murderer loose in a court house, it rises to a breathtaking climax.The story shows the metamorphosis of two small town newspapermen from routine positions on the Bradford Daily Blade to places of power on a New York tabloid. George Howe is a ruthless managing editor. Ted Lloyd, his Broadway columnist, is a gossip-monger without scruples, a fitting partner for his boss.Lew Cody and Wallace Ford, as the editor and columnist, give excellent performances, and the others in the cast are up to the requirements of their parts. Fred Kohler, in particular, is authentic and exciting as a small-time thug.The stage "Varieties" features Red Nichols and his orchestra, Ted Leary, Bobby Pincus and the Mullen Sisters.

Movietone News.NEWSREELS, a compilation of Movietone and Metrotone newsreels, shown continuously at the Embassy Theatre.

A version of this review appears in print on December 7, 1931 of the National edition with the headline: THE SCREEN; Another Phase of the War. A British Farce. Sensational Journalism. Movietone News. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe